It can be depressing to lose a job. Along with your primary source of income goes self esteem and hope. Handling being laid off can be rough, however doing so effectively can make all the difference to your confidence and chances of gaining new employment quickly.

Recognise the silver lining

At first finding yourself unemployed can be disheartening, but as with most things in life, there is a silver lining. If you're out of work you have time to assess where your life, with regards to your career, is heading. Perhaps losing your job is an indication that change was needed anyway.

Think positively and use the gift of time wisely, to enable you to decide what it is you really want job wise, and to formulate a plan about how to get it.

Begin by formulating a career goal, so that you can begin moving in the right direction. Your career goal should be the ultimate job you are aiming for. Once you have it in mind, you can develop smaller steps along the way to help you reach it. For example, if you wanted to own your own beauty salon, you would work towards this goal by learning what is entailed in becoming a business proprietor in the world of beauty. You would probably discover that you need qualifications in specific areas, and that taking a course in business management would help you move towards your aim. Thus training and gaining qualifications would be two of the steps you'd take towards your goal.

Revamp your curriculum vitae

Your curriculum vitae, or CV, is an advertisement to prospective employers about you. Since you last formulated it you've had new experiences, overcome challenges and changed, so it's time to alter your CV too. If you have a particular career change in mind, make sure your CV is fashioned to suit the job in question. Gear information to show the skills and experiences prospective employers will be looking for during a job interview.

For example, if you hoped to get a job as a business manager, you would use your CV to impress upon potential employers that you had relevant skills and experience needed to do the job well. You may highlight examples of past work experience in your CV which showed how you streamlined and organised a project, and you would use keywords in your CV such as, team leader, responsible and driven to succeed.

Get an ego boost

Don't let losing your job get you down. Remember that sometimes these things just happen, and may have nothing to do with you as a person or your performance at the job. Regain confidence and raise self esteem by reminding yourself about past achievements. Look back over certificates and qualifications you have, and see if any positive skills have gone unused. Now's the time to dust them off, and let other people know what you're capable of.

Widen your social network

Often finding a great new job has more to do with having the right contacts, and being in the right place at the right time. Get in touch with old friends and past work colleagues. Tell them you're looking for a job, and about the type of work you're interested in. Join job clubs, attend job fairs and put the word out that your special skills and talents are up for grabs.

Plan presentation

As well as having a professional looking CV tailored to specific ideals, it will help if you work on self presentation too, ready for when you will be going for interviews. If needs be, tidy up your appearance by having a new haircut or hairstyle, make sure you have smart interview clothes ready to wear, and indulge in some pampering and preening. Doing so will help make you feel good, increase confidence and make you look like an ideal candidate for a job.

Losing your job can feel bad, but by following the above steps showing you how to make the most of a layoff, you can put your best foot forward with confidence, and walk back into employment fast.